Thomas mcnicholas



T. MCNICHOLAS.

BRICK-MACHINE. I N0. 190,505. Patented May 8,1877.

. AIIOBNEYSL THOMAS MGNIOHOLAS, OF MEMPHIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TOHIMSELF AND THOMPSON WALKER, OF SAME PLACE. I

IMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 190,505., dated May 8,1877; application tiled February 26, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MONIGHOLAS, of Memphis, in the county ofScotland and State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Brick-Machines, of which the following is aspecification:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved machine,taken through the line a; :20, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end view of thesame.

' of which is formed the mud-box B. The mudbox B has an opening formedin the upper part of one or more of its sides, through which the clay isthrown in. In hearings in the top and bottom of the mud-box B revolves avertical shaft, 0, to which are attached a number of radial arms, D. Tothe lower part of the shaft 0, close to the bottom of the mudbox B, areattached radial scrapers E, by which the mud is forced down, through theholes I) in the bottom of the mud-box B, into molds. The holes I) arecast in iron frames which are secured in the bottomof the mudbox B. Theholes b are made about half an inch smaller than the molds, so that theclay may pass down into the center of the molds, and may be passed outto its sides and ends, so as to leave the sand upon the sides of themold undisturbed, and cause the molds to shed the bricks as readily aswhen filled by hand.

Stationary arms may be attached to the sides of the mud-box B to assistin working the clay more thoroughly. To the upper end of the shaft 0 isattached the main drivewheel F, to which is attached the sweep Gr. Theteeth of the wheel F mesh into the teeth of two wheels H, which are madeexactly half the size of the main wheel F, and are attached to the upperends of short shafts I, revolving in bearin gs in the frame A.

To crank-pins attached to the gear-wheels H are pivoted the ends of theconnecting-rods J, to the other ends of which are hinged sockets K, tofit upon tenons formed upon the upper ends of the levers L. The levers Lpass through mortises in short rock shafts M, which work in bearingsattached to the frame A. The levers L are secured in place in therock-shafts M by pins m, as shown in Figs.

1 and 2. Several holes are formed in the levers L to receive the pins m,so that the said levers may be adjusted to have a longer or shorterstroke, as may be required. The lower parts of the levers L are forked,and their ends are inserted between pairs of frictionrollers N, whichare pivoted to the rear ends of the side bars of the pushers O, thecentral bars of which slide upon shoulders formed in the inner sides ofthe pairs of parallel bars I, attached to the base-bars of the frame A,and which form ways or channels for the molds to slide upon. To theforward part of the pushers O are attached plates Q, which cover themolds until they have been pushed forward beneath the discharge-holes ofthe mud-box B, so that the said molds may receive the clay continuouslyuntil they are filled, to prevent the formation of seams in the bricks.

R is a scraper, attached to the bottom of the mud-box B, to scrape oflany clay that may adhere to the plates Q as they are drawn back.

S are the molds, which are similar to handmolds, except that they havenotches or grooves formed in their bottoms to receive the springs T,attached to the bottoms of the channels in which said molds slide, tohold them in place exactly beneath the dischargeholes in the bottom ofthe mud-box B, and prevent them from being drawn back by the withdrawalof the pushers O.

The drive-wheel F, being exactly twice the size of the wheels H, causesthe pushers O to bring the molds S beneath the dischargeholes I) of themud-box B, when the scrapers E are in proper position to force out theclay, so that there may be no loss of time, and so that there may be nobreak in the passage of clay into said molds to form imperfect or seamedbrick.

The machine is adjusted by throwing the wheels H out of gear, turningthe wheels F until the scrapers E and pushers O are in proper relativeposition, and then throwing the wheels H again into gear. The machinemay he placed upon a track or rollers and moved around the yard from onesoak-pit to another to avoid carrying the clay. The filled molds arereceived, as they are pushed out by the advance of the empty molds, bythe offbearers.

The machine is represented as being made double; but one side can beused alone, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of the shaft 0, provided with thearms and scrapers D E, the gearwheels F H, the connecting-rods andsockets J K, the levers and rock-shafts L M, and the pushers O, with themud-box B, the frame A, and the way-bars P, substantially as'hereinshown and described.

2. The combination, with brick machine mold-covers, of the stationaryscraper R, arranged to keep the top of mold-covers clean, and preventadhering clay from being pushed over into the molds.

